U.S. patent number 6,377,821 [Application Number 08/947,670] was granted by the patent office on 2002-04-23 for display-based interface for a communication device.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Avaya Technology Corp.. Invention is credited to Donato Joseph Forlenzo, Richard Y. Hsia, Frank William Lescinsky, Ronald Joseph Scaletti, Terry Spencer, Emil Stefanacci.
United States Patent |
6,377,821 |
Forlenzo , et al. |
April 23, 2002 |
Display-based interface for a communication device
Abstract
A wireless handset or other communication device includes a user
interface implemented with a display and a number of select
buttons. The display provides an array of identifiers arranged in
rows and columns, with the identifiers corresponding generally to
lines or functions of a communication system. The display also
provides a status indication for each of the identifiers. A status
indicator for a line identifier may indicate whether the
corresponding line is in use by the handset user, in use by another
system user, or idle, while a status indicator for a function
identifier may indicate whether the function is activated or
deactivated by the handset user. The assignment of identifiers to
lines or functions may be in accordance with a mapping from a wired
system, and the status information may be supplied to the handset
from a switch of the wired system. The handset includes at least
one row select button for selecting a particular one of the rows of
identifiers provided in the display, and at least one column select
button for selecting a particular one of the columns of
identifiers. The selection of a particular row and column indicates
selection of a line or function associated with the corresponding
identifier. The display may be configured such that all of the
identifiers and the state of their corresponding status indicators
are visible to the user whenever the handset is on.
Inventors: |
Forlenzo; Donato Joseph
(Manahawkin, NJ), Hsia; Richard Y. (Holmdel, NJ),
Lescinsky; Frank William (Middletown, NJ), Scaletti; Ronald
Joseph (North Brunswick, NJ), Spencer; Terry (Fair
Haven, NJ), Stefanacci; Emil (Freehold, NJ) |
Assignee: |
Avaya Technology Corp. (Basking
Ridge, NJ)
|
Family
ID: |
25486541 |
Appl.
No.: |
08/947,670 |
Filed: |
October 9, 1997 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
455/566;
455/462 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04M
1/72469 (20210101) |
Current International
Class: |
H04M
1/247 (20060101); H04M 1/725 (20060101); H04M
1/72 (20060101); H04B 001/40 () |
Field of
Search: |
;455/566,90,575,74.1,564,418,550,555,462,463
;379/433,352,353,355.01 ;345/133,100 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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WO97/31467 |
|
Aug 1997 |
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FI |
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WO 97/35413 |
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Sep 1997 |
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WO |
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Other References
"Simon, Mobile Communications Made Simple", 1993 by Bell South,
1993.* .
Uniden NOR9500 Digital Wireless Phone with Norstar Interface,
Product Literature, pp. 1-2, Uniden America Corp., Fort Worth, TX,
1995. .
Uniden 900 MHz Wireless EXP 9600, Advertisement, Uniden America
Corp., Fort Worth, TX. .
Wirefree Option, Harris Digital Telephone Systems, Product
Literature, pp. 1-4, Harris Corporation, Novato, CA. .
Nortel Companion, "The Wireless Telephone System For Business,"
Product Literature, pp. 1-7, Northern Telecom, Richardson, TX,
1995..
|
Primary Examiner: Bost; Dwayne
Assistant Examiner: Trinh; Sonny
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Ryan, Mason & Lewis, LLP
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An apparatus for implementing a user interface in a wireless
telecommunication device of a communication system, the apparatus
comprising:
a display providing a number of identifiers arranged in a plurality
of rows and a plurality of columns, wherein at least a first subset
of the identifiers each represents a communication line mapped from
a related wired telephone of the system so as to be accessible
through the wireless telecommunication device, the wired telephone
being associated with a user of the wireless telecommunication
device, and wherein at least a second subset of the identifiers
each represents a function mapped from the related wired telephone
of the system so as to be accessible through the wireless
telecommunication device;
at least one row select button for selecting a particular one of
the plurality of rows provided in the display; and
at least one column select button for selecting a particular one of
the plurality of columns provided in the display, such that
selection of the particular row and the particular column is
operative to select a feature associated with the corresponding
identifier.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a single row select
button and a plurality of column select buttons, wherein the row
select button when pressed repeatedly is operative to cycle through
the plurality of rows.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a single column
select button and a plurality of row select buttons, wherein the
column select button when pressed repeatedly is operative to cycle
through the plurality of columns.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a single row select
button and a single column select button, wherein the row select
button when pressed repeatedly is operative to cycle through the
plurality of rows, and the column select button when pressed
repeatedly is operative to cycle through the plurality of
columns.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the telecommunication device is
a handset of a wireless system, and the identifiers each correspond
to a line or a function of the wireless system.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the telecommunication device is
a handset of a wireless system, and lines or functions are assigned
to the identifiers in accordance with a mapping from a wired
telephone system.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the display is operative to
provide a status indication for each of the displayed identifiers,
and the status information used to provide the status indications
is supplied from a switch of a wired telephone system.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a line corresponding to a given
one of the identifiers is preselected prior to turning on the
device, such that the preselected line is automatically selected
when the device is turned on.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the display is operative to
indicate to a user which of the plurality of rows is selected at a
given time.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the display is operative to
indicate to a user which of the plurality of columns is selected at
a given time.
11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the display is operative to
indicate to a user which line or function corresponding to an
identifier is selected at a given time.
12. A method for implementing a user interface in a wireless
telecommunication device of a communication system, the method
comprising the steps of:
displaying a number of identifiers arranged in a plurality of rows
and a plurality of columns, wherein at least a first subset of the
identifiers each represents a communication line mapped from a
related wired telephone of the system so as to be accessible
through the wireless telecommunication device, the wired telephone
being associated with a user of the wireless telecommunication
device, and wherein at least a second subset of the identifiers
each represents a function mapped from the related wired telephone
of the system so as to be accessible through the wireless
telecommunication device;
utilizing at least one row select button to select a particular one
of the plurality of rows provided in the display; and
utilizing at least one column select button to select a particular
one of the plurality of columns provided in the display, such that
selection of the particular row and the particular column selects a
feature associated with the corresponding identifier.
13. The method of claim 12 further including the step of utilizing
a single row select button to cycle through the plurality of
rows.
14. The method of claim 12 further including the step of utilizing
a single column select button to cycle through the plurality of
columns.
15. The method of claim 12 wherein the displaying step further
includes displaying a status indication for each of the
identifiers, and the status information used to provide the status
indications is supplied from a switch of a wired telephone
system.
16. The method of claim 12 further including the step of
preselecting a line corresponding to a given one of the identifiers
prior to turning on the device, such that the preselected line is
automatically selected when the device is turned on.
17. The method of claim 12 wherein the displaying step includes
indicating to a user which of the plurality of rows is selected at
a given time.
18. The method of claim 12 wherein the displaying step includes
indicating to a user which of the plurality of columns is selected
at a given time.
19. The method of claim 12 wherein the displaying step includes
indicating to a user which line or function corresponding to an
identifier is selected at a given time.
20. A wireless handset for use in a communication system,
comprising:
a housing;
a display arranged in the housing, the display providing a number
of identifiers arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of
columns, wherein at least a first subset of the identifiers each
represents a communication line mapped from a related wired
telephone of the system so as to be accessible through the wireless
handset, the wired telephone being associated with a user of the
wireless handset, and wherein at least a second subset of the
identifiers each represents a function mapped from the related
wired telephone of the system so as to be accessible through the
wireless communication device;
at least one row select button for selecting a particular one of
the plurality of rows provided in the display; and
at least one column select button for selecting a particular one of
the plurality of columns provided in the display, such that
selection of the particular row and the particular column selects a
feature associated with the corresponding identifier.
21. The handset of claim 20 further including a single row select
button and a plurality of column select buttons, wherein the row
select button when pressed repeatedly is operative to cycle through
the plurality of rows.
22. The handset of claim 20 further including a single column
select button and a plurality of row select buttons, wherein the
column select button when pressed repeatedly is operative to cycle
through the plurality of columns.
23. The handset of claim 20 further including a single row select
button and a single column select button, wherein the row select
button when pressed repeatedly is operative to cycle through the
plurality of rows, and the column select button when pressed
repeatedly is operative to cycle through the plurality of
columns.
24. The handset of claim 20 wherein lines or functions are assigned
to the identifiers in accordance with a mapping from a wired
telephone system.
25. The handset of claim 20 wherein the display further provides a
status indication for each of the displayed identifiers, and the
status information used to provide the status indications is
supplied from a switch of a wired telephone system.
26. The handset of claim 20 wherein a line corresponding to a given
one of the identifiers is preselected prior to turning on the
handset, such that the preselected line is automatically selected
when the handset is turned on.
27. An apparatus for implementing a user interface in a wireless
telecommunication device of a communication system, the apparatus
comprising:
a display providing a number of identifiers arranged in a plurality
of rows and a plurality of columns, wherein at least a subset of
the identifiers each represent a communication line or a function
mapped from a related wired device of the system so as to be
accessible through the wireless telecommunication device;
at least one row select button for selecting a particular one of
the plurality of rows provided in the display; and
atleast one column select button for selecting a particular one of
the plurality of columns provided in the display, such that
selection of the particular row and the particular column is
operative to select a feature associated with the corresponding
identifier;
wherein a line corresponding to a given one of the identifiers is
preselected prior to turning on the device, such that the
preselected line is automatically selected when the device is
turned on.
28. A method for implementing a user interface in a wireless
telecommunication device of a communication system, the method
comprising the steps of:
displaying a number of identifiers arranged in a plurality of rows
and a plurality of columns, wherein at least a subset of
identifiers each represent a communication line or a function
mapped from a related wired device of the system so as to be
accessible through the wireless telecommunication device;
utilizing at least one row select button to select a particular one
of the plurality of rows provided in the display; and
utilizing at least one column select button to select a particular
one of the plurality of columns provided in the display, such that
selection of the particular row and the particular column selects a
feature associated with the corresponding identifier;
wherein a line corresponding to a given one of the identifiers is
preselected prior to turning on the device, such that the
preselected line is automatically selected when the device is
turned on.
29. A wireless handset for use in a communication system,
comprising:
a housing;
a display arranged in the housing, the display providing a number
of identifiers arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of
columns, wherein at least a subset of the identifiers each
represent a communication line or a function mapped from a related
wired device of he system so as to be accessible through the
wireless handset;
at least one row select button for selecting a particular one of
the plurality of rows provided in the display; and
at least one column select button for selecting a particular one of
the plurality of columns provided in the display, such that
selection of the particular row and the particular column selects a
feature associated with the corresponding identifier;
wherein a line corresponding to a given one of the identifiers is
preselected prior to turning on the device, such that the
preselected line is automatically selected when the device is
turned on.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to wireless telephone
handsets and other communication devices, and more particularly to
displays for use in such devices.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Wireless communication is becoming increasing popular in a variety
of applications. One important application is in business telephone
systems, where wireless techniques are being used to allow
employees at a given business facility to access their wired
desktop telephone lines and corresponding telephone functions from
portable handsets. The system in effect allows wired lines to be
connected over wireless communication channels to the handsets,
such that employees can, for example, field calls arriving at their
desktop telephones from anywhere within the facility. This
arrangement provides improved employee accessibility, and thus
increased efficiency and productivity.
A significant problem in these and other wireless systems relates
to configuration of the display and function keys on the portable
handset. Since the employees need to carry the handsets with them
in order to obtain the full benefit of the system, it is important
for the handsets to be compact and lightweight. This would
generally require that the handset incorporate a relatively simple
display with a limited number of function keys. However, many
employee desktop telephones support a large number of lines and
functions. For optimal efficiency, a substantial number of these
lines and functions should be accessible to a given employee
through the portable handset. Moreover, the handset should be
capable of displaying the status of the various lines and functions
simultaneously. Providing these features using a conventional
handset display would typically involve increasing the number of
function buttons on the handset, as well as increasing the size of
the display. Unfortunately, this increases the size and weight of
the handset, making it more difficult to carry. Other conventional
approaches require the user to reprogram certain buttons in order
to access different desktop lines and functions, which is
inefficient and inconvenient for the user. Conventional handsets
thus fail to adequately resolve the contention between the need for
desktop-like functionality and the need to limit handset size and
weight.
A need therefore exists for an improved wireless handset which can
provide access to an array of multiple lines and functions similar
to those found on a desktop business telephone, without unduly
increasing the size and weight of the handset or requiring
excessive reprogramming.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A wireless handset or other communication device in accordance with
an illustrative embodiment of the invention includes a user
interface implemented with a display and a set of select buttons.
The display includes an array of identifiers arranged in rows and
columns, with each of the identifiers corresponding generally to
possible lines or functions accessible to a user of the wireless
system. Each of the identifiers has a status indicator associated
with it. The lines and functions corresponding to identifiers in
the display may be mapped from the lines and functions of a wired
telephone system used in the same facility as the wireless handset.
In order to access the line or function corresponding to the
identifier at the intersection of a particular row and column in
the display, the user selects that row and column by pressing row
and column select buttons.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, all of the
identifiers and the state of their corresponding status indicators
may be made visible to the user whenever the handset is on, such
that the display provides the multiple line and function status
information previously associated only with wired desktop
telephones. For example, if an identifier corresponds to a line,
its displayed status indicator will generally indicate whether the
line is in use by the handset user, in use by another system user,
or idle. If an identifier corresponds to a function, its displayed
status indicator may indicate whether the handset user has
activated or deactivated that function. The status information used
in the handset to provide the status indications may be supplied
from a switch of a wired telephone system. The handset may also
include a line preselection feature which allows a line
corresponding to a given one of the identifiers to be preselected
prior to filly turning on the handset, such that the preselected
line is automatically selected when the handset is fully turned
on.
In one possible arrangement of handset selection buttons in
accordance with the invention, a single row select button is used
in conjunction with multiple column select buttons, with one column
select button for each column of identifiers in the display. The
user selects a desired line or function in a particular row and
column of the display by repeatedly pressing the single row select
button until the display indicates that the particular row is
selected, and then pressing the corresponding column select button.
In other possible arrangements, a single column select button may
be used in conjunction with multiple row select buttons, with one
row select button for each row of identifiers in the display. The
user selects a line or function in a particular column of
identifiers by repeatedly pressing the single column select button
until the display indicates that the particular column is selected,
and then selects a line or function in the particular row by
pressing the corresponding row select button. Other arrangements
may use single row and column select buttons for respective row and
column selection. As previously noted, the display also provides
status indications for each line and function identifier, such that
a given user can determine from the display which lines are in use
by that user, which lines are in use by another user, and which
functions are activated or deactivated.
The invention provides a handset or other communication device
which can access the large number of lines and functions typically
associated with a desktop business telephone without requiring a
corresponding increase in the number of buttons on the handset or
the size of the handset display. Moreover, the status of all the
lines and functions is made visible simultaneously to the user
without the need to reprogram function buttons as in conventional
wireless handsets. These and other features and advantages of the
present invention will become more apparent from the accompanying
drawings and the following detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows a portable handset with a display and function buttons
configured in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the
invention.
FIG. 2 illustrates the display of the handset of FIG. 1 in greater
detail.
FIG. 3 illustrates the correspondence between column select buttons
and columns of the display in accordance with the invention.
FIG. 4 illustrates the manner in which a particular identifier in a
row and column of the handset display is selected in accordance
with the invention.
FIG. 5 shows an alternative view of a selected identifier in a row
and column of the handset display.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The invention will be illustrated below in conjunction with an
exemplary handset for use in a wireless communication system.
Although particularly well-suited for use in conjunction with a
business telephone system, the invention is not limited to use with
any particular type of communication system. The disclosed display
and function selection techniques may be used in any application in
which it is desirable to provide access to a large number of lines
or functions using a limited number of buttons. For example, the
invention may be applied to handsets for use in cellular and
personal communication services (PCS) systems, and to other types
of communication devices. The term "handset" as used herein should
therefore be understood to include not only portable wireless
handsets as in the illustrative embodiment but also other types of
communication devices. The term "button" as used herein is intended
to include any type of hard or soft key which is pressed or
otherwise activated by a user to select a corresponding line or
function, including icons or other representations on a
pressure-sensitive or a "point-and-click" display of a personal
digital assistant (PDA) or other electronic device. The term "line"
as used herein is intended to include not only telephone lines but
more generally any type of communication channel which it may be
desirable to monitor in a display of a communication device.
FIG. 1 shows a wireless handset 10 in accordance with an
illustrative embodiment of the invention. The handset 10 includes a
housing 12, a receiver 14, a microphone 16, an antenna 18 and a
display 20. The handset 10 communicates with a base station of a
wireless communication system in a well-known manner. The wireless
communication system may be part of a wireless system within a
business facility and used to implement business telephone
functions. For example, the handset 10 may be configured to receive
from the base station calls which are directed to a wired desktop
telephone of the handset user. The user listens through receiver 14
and speaks into the microphone 16 in order to carry on a
conversation with a caller. The handset 10 is shown in FIG. 1 as
including a number of conventional buttons, including: alphanumeric
buttons; "*" and "#" buttons; an "On/Off" button for turning the
handset 10 on or off; a "Feat/P" button for enabling dial-code
features or entering programming mode; a "Conf" button for enabling
multi-line telephone conferences; a "Trans" button for transferring
a call to another extension; a "Hold" button for placing a call on
hold; a "Redial" button for re-dialing the last number entered in
the handset; and a "Mute" button for turning off the microphone 16
for privacy.
The handset 10 also includes a set of additional buttons 22 which
in conjunction with display 20 provide a user interface for
selecting among different lines and functions. The additional
buttons 22 include a row select button 24 and column select buttons
26-1, 26-2, 26-3 and 26-4. As will be described in greater detail
below, the display 20 is arranged in accordance with the invention
to include an array of selectable elements. Each element
corresponds to a particular line or function which may be selected
by the user via the buttons 22. In order to select a particular
line or function in the display 20, the user pushes the row select
button 24 until the row of the desired line or function is
indicated, and then pushes the column select button of the column
of the desired line or function. This process will be illustrated
in greater detail in conjunction with FIGS. 3, 4, and 5 below. It
should be noted that the handset 10 may include a microprocessor or
other suitable electronic controller for directing the operations
of the display, providing the functionality of the various buttons
and implementing other functions of the handset. The microprocessor
may operate in conjunction with internal or external random access
memory (RAM), programmable read-only memory (ROM) or other suitable
memory components in order to provide the display-based user
interface features of the invention. These microprocessor and
memory elements may be configured in a manner well known in the art
and will therefore not be further described herein.
FIG. 2 shows a detailed view of the display 20 of handset 10. In
this view, all of the possible elements of an exemplary display are
shown as illuminated for clarity of illustration. Although certain
of the elements, such as line or function identifiers, are
generally always illuminated and visible to the user whenever the
handset is on, other display elements, such as status indicators
for particular lines or functions and status indicators for handset
operating modes, are illuminated and visible to the user only when
the corresponding conditions are present. For example, a "low
battery" indicator in the display 20 will only be visible to the
user when the low battery condition is present. It should therefore
be understood that during normal usage typically only a subset of
the display elements shown in FIG. 2 will actually be illuminated
and visible to the user. The display 20 may be configured using
conventional liquid crystal display (LCD) elements as is well known
in the art. The display 20 may or may not be back-lit, and other
types of displays may be also be used in place of display 20. The
illustrated display elements include a matrix of twelve identifiers
1, 2, 3, . . . 8, A, B, C and D. Each of the identifiers specifies
a particular line or function accessible to the user via the
handset 10. The lines or functions may be assigned to the
identifiers based on a mapping of lines and functions from a
business telephone system in the facility in which the handset 10
is used. For example, the identifiers 1, 2, 3, . . . 8 may
correspond to eight different lines of the business telephone
system, while the identifiers A, B, C and D correspond to functions
such as drop, do not disturb, recall, intercom or a programmable
function. Numerous other configurations may also be used, in
accordance with the requirements of a given application.
The twelve identifiers are arranged in this example as an array
including four columns 32 and three rows 34. The display 20 also
provides status indications for each line and function identifier,
such that a given user can determine from the display which lines
are in use by that user, which lines are in use by another user,
which lines are idle and which functions are currently activated or
deactivated. The status of a given identifier in this embodiment is
indicated by a corresponding status indicator which is displayed
with the indicator. For example, each of the identifiers 1, 2, 3, .
. . 8, A, B, C and D may be surrounded by an indicator in the form
of a "truncated" triangle 36 or by a rectangle 38. The truncated
triangle 36 may be used to convey the information generally
associated with a green light emitting diode (LED) indicator on a
wired system telephone, while the rectangle 38 may be used to
convey the information generally associated with a red LED
indicator on the wired system telephone. The distinction between
the truncated triangle 36 and the rectangle 38 will be described in
greater detail in conjunction with FIG. 5 below.
A selection rectangle 40 is used to indicate to the user which of
the three rows 34 is currently selected. In accordance with the
invention, all of the identifiers and their corresponding status
indicators are generally visible to the user whenever the handset
10 is on, such that the display 20 provides the multiple line and
function status information typically associated only with wired
desktop telephones. The status information used in handset 10 to
provide the status indications may be supplied from a switch of a
wired telephone system.
The exemplary display 20 further includes: an "MSG" indicator 42
for indicating if the user has a voice mail or other type of
message; a "RANGE" indicator 44 which tells the user that the
handset 10 is out of range or almost out of range of the wireless
system; an "ON" indicator 46 for indicating that the handset 10 has
been turned on; a battery icon 48 for warning of a low battery
condition; a no ring icon 50 for indicating that the ringer or
other alerter function is disabled; and a "MUTE" indicator 52 for
indicating that the handset microphone 16 has been turned off. As
previously noted, these indicators are displayed in display 20 when
the corresponding conditions are present, and are otherwise not
visible to the user. The upper portion of the display 20 includes a
display line 54 which is capable of displaying information to the
user in alphanumeric form. The information may be of a type found
in the display of a wired desktop business telephone, and thus
varies depending on the type of system being utilized. For example,
the display line 54 may show the current date, the number being
called, or caller identification information if it is supported by
the system. The display line 54 may also be used for providing
feedback when the user is testing or programming the handset
10.
FIG. 3 shows the correspondence between the column select buttons
26-1, 26-2, 26-3 and 26-4 and the columns 32 of display 20. The
dashed lines indicate that each of the individual columns 32-1,
32-2, 32-3 and 32-4 of the set of columns 32 corresponds generally
to one of the column select buttons 26-1, 26-2, 26-3 and 26-4. Each
of the column select buttons 26-n is used, in conjunction with the
row select button 24, to select a line or function corresponding to
one of the three identifiers directly above the column select
button. For example, the column select button 26-1 is pressed when
the user wants to select a line or function corresponding to
identifier A, identifier 1 or identifier 5. The user presses row
select button 24 to specify a particular one of the lines or
functions corresponding to identifiers A, 1 or 5.
FIG. 4 illustrates the selection process in greater detail. In this
example, the user wants to select the line or function
corresponding to identifier 2 in column 32-2. The user therefore
presses the row select button 24 until the selection rectangle
indicates that the second row is selected. Each time the row select
button 24 is pressed, the selection rectangle moves to another row
of the display 20, cycling through the three rows in turn.
Alternative techniques may be used to indicate selection of a
particular row of the display. For example, the selected row may be
illuminated in a different color or level of brightness than the
other rows. The user then selects the line or function
corresponding to identifier 2 by pressing the column select button
26-2. The selection of a particular line or function corresponding
to an identifier by pressing the row and column select buttons is
indicated in display 20 by a truncated triangle 36 surrounding the
particular identifier as shown. In some cases the indication
provided by the truncated triangle 36 may be alternatively provided
by rectangle 38 or other indicator based on the type of wired
system with which the handset is operating.
FIG. 5 shows an illustration of display 20 corresponding to that of
FIG. 4 but with a rectangle 38 surrounding the selected identifier,
rather the truncated triangle 36. As noted above, the truncated
triangle 36 may be used to implement the function provided by a
green LED indicator in a standard wired business telephone, that
is, to indicate that a particular line or function is actually
selected by the user. Similarly, the rectangle 38 may be used to
implement the function provided by a red LED indicator in a
standard wired business telephone, that is, to indicate that a
particular line or function is in use but not currently selected by
the user. Moreover, each of the line or function identifiers in the
display, and its corresponding status indication, may be made
visible to the user at all times, regardless of the particular row
or column selected.
In the example display of FIG. 4, the truncated triangle 36
surrounding identifier 2 indicates that the user has selected the
corresponding line. In the example display of FIG. 5, the rectangle
38 surrounding identifier 2 indicates that the corresponding line
is already in use, and that the user should therefore select
another line. Other similar indicators could be used to indicate to
the user that particular lines or functions are selected or
otherwise in use. In addition, it should be noted that the
indications provided by the triangle 36 and rectangle 38 may be
reversed depending on the type of wired system with which handset
10 is operating. For example, the triangle 36 and rectangle 38 may
provide indications similar to those provided by a green LED and a
red LED, respectively, when handset 10 is operating with one type
of wired system, while the indications are reversed such that
triangle 36 and rectangle 38 provide indications provided by a red
LED and a green LED, respectively, when handset 10 is operating
with another type of wired system.
A handset or other telecommunication device in accordance with the
invention may also be provided with a line preselection feature.
The line preselection feature allows a line corresponding to a
given one of the identifiers to be preselected prior to fully
turning on the handset, such that the preselected line is
automatically selected when the handset is fully turned on. This
feature is particularly useful in embodiments in which the system
is already configured to automatically connect the handset to a
ringing line when the handset is turned on. In certain situations,
it may be desirable for a user to be able to turn on the handset
without the handset automatically connecting the user to the
ringing line. For example, a user accustomed to receiving a large
number of incoming calls may be prevented from making an important
outgoing call at will if the handset automatically connects to the
ringing line when turned on. The line preselection feature of the
invention allows such a user to preselect a particular line using
the column and row select buttons in the manner previously
described. This preselection is generally made with the handset in
a pre-on condition such that the display is activated but call
answering functions are still off. After preselection, when the
handset is fully turned on in the presence of ringing on another
line, the handset will ignore the ringing line and connect the user
to the preselected line. The user can thus make an important
outgoing call at any time without being forced to first answer a
less-important incoming call which happens to arrive at the same
time.
The above-described embodiments of the invention are intended to be
illustrative only. For example, alternative embodiments may utilize
different types of displays to provide the row and column selection
functions described in conjunction with FIGS. 3, 4 and 5. In
addition, the lines or functions corresponding to the displayed
identifiers may be mapped from any of a number of different
telephone systems, and may include functions such as drop, do not
disturb, recall, intercom as well as programmable functions, in any
desired combination. Selection of a particular identifier or a
particular row of identifiers in the display may be accomplished
using techniques other than those described. For example, an
alternative embodiment of the invention for use with the display 20
of FIG. 2 may include three row select buttons, one for each of the
rows 34, and a single column select button for cycling through the
different columns 32. In such an embodiment, a selection rectangle
such as rectangle 40, or other similar technique, may be used to
indicate selection of a particular column. As another example of an
alternative embodiment, a single row select button may be used in
conjunction with a single column select button, such that
repeatedly pressing the row and column select buttons cycles
through the respective rows and columns in the display. Selection
rectangles or other indication mechanisms are used to indicate
which row and column are selected. These and numerous other
alternative embodiments within the scope of the following claims
will be apparent to those skilled in the art.
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